Most of today’s technology leaders would say that smartphones represent the most dynamic, and most strategic, sector on the global economic landscape. Just as the telecommunications equipment sector was red-hot during the initial buildout of the Internet, today all of the action – and a large share of the money – is at the edge, in handheld devices. And as PC sales continue to falter, and global pad sales growth drops back into single digits, it’s the constantly upgraded smartphone that provides the gateway to all of the content and services customers use today.

Much like routers and switches in an earlier era, smartphones are the gateway to almost everything else.

Everyone knows that this business is booming. Apple just had the best quarter in global corporate history, and passed Samsung in Q4 as the world leader in shipments – having already led in revenues. The Mobile World Congress, smartphone watering hole for the planet, was packed as never before – even if there were complaints of a lack of innovation.

There are more smartphone makers showing up every day, and more in play today than ever before. It seems that every human on the planet is heading toward being a smartphone owner, every business an advertiser or content provider, every entertainment and media company re-jiggering formats to fit its small screen, and every bank and credit card company shaking in fear as these compact computers take over payments.

If you happen to live on a line between Cupertino and Mountain View – or if you are one of those people who like seeing innovation appropriately rewarded – it probably comes as a source of great satisfaction that 96% of all smartphone operating system sales for 2014 involved either the Apple iOS or Google’s Android OS.